


Liberia:  America's Colony

by Lamashtar



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Africa, America (parent) & Liberia (child), American History, Anthropomorphic, Black Character, Black Character(s), Colonialism, Colonization, Gen, Historical, Historical Hetalia, Historical Metaphors, Historical References, Minor Original Character(s), Parent America (Hetalia), Parent-Child Relationship, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-09
Updated: 2015-04-09
Packaged: 2019-03-20 05:01:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13710387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lamashtar/pseuds/Lamashtar
Summary: The United States of America wants a baby.  To get a baby, he needs to create a colony.This is the story of the American colony of Liberia by African-American freemen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Repost from the Hetalia Kink Meme. Original post date: 2015-04-09
> 
> Hetalia is a fandom that anthropomorphizes nations/cultures. 
> 
> Original prompt: Any!European Nation+Any!African Nation - Parent-Child Dynamic  
> The Scramble for Africa displaced many African kingdoms and created many new African states, so anon would like to see how the newly formed baby nations coped with being taken away from one parent and adapted to being a colony. In some cases, the empire was nice, but in others, the empire was cruel. And how did the already existing African nations feel about the baby nations?  
> Bonus: Anon would just love it if Liberia was mentioned at least once.  
> No offense was intended by this portrayal of African history  
> Author's research contradicts itself in many places, please forgive inaccuracies!

1816 - The American Colonization Society is founded by white Americans, comprising both abolitionists and slaveholders, to deal with growing number of free blacks in the United States.

1817 - Settlement in the British colony of freed slaves of Sierra Leone is considered.

_“Would the British government consent to receive such an accession of emigrants, however eventually considerable, from the United States?--Would that government agree that, at the period when that colony shall be capable of self-government and self-protection, it shall be declared independent? In the mean time, will it desire to monopolize the commerce of the colony? This would be injurious to the colonists, as well as to the United States.”_ \--Free People of Color, Niles' Weekly Register

1819 – At the urging of President James Monroe, who was also president of the American Colonization Society, the United States Congress appropriates a $100,000 federal grant to resettle freed slaves to Africa. Monroe is a slave owner and uses his slaves as White House staff, but supported federal emancipation.

_"James Monroe, the fifth American president (1817-25), described freed black slaves walking the streets of America as 'a class of very dangerous people'."_ \--Tim Butcher, Our Man in Liberia

_Two agents are appointed to assist the ACS but are ordered "You are not to connect your agency with the views or plans of the colonization society, with which, under the law, the Government of the United States has no concern."_ \--Congressional edition, Volume 5659  
  


####  **December 14, 1821, the Pepper Coast of West Africa**

####    
  


Everyone knew the boy was a spirit. He looked like a white man, but the people had seen the signs. 

The Kru tribe welcomed him at first. The boy greedily ate everything offered to him and the women were pleased. When the boy smiled, Kru himself could not help petting his stringy hair affectionately. 

When the boy spoke, Kru felt bewitched with love. 

_Just a little place by the sea, not for me but for children, yours and mine_

_a shining city of Africans with white man's knowledge_

He agreed to everything the boy asked for. They were to meet again the next day. 

Then the Mane Empire showed up. 

He was a young kingdom from the north with hungry eyes. Kru had never trusted him. War was Mane's love, and he grew rich with captives. Those lost children disappeared from the earth, never to be seen again. 

Kru had heard the rumors, however. 

But this time Mane came alone. 

It was such a mystery, Kru invited Mane to stay. Mane accepted delicately.  


"We have fought together sometimes, Kru," Mane said, pursing his lips pompously. 

_And you have always won,_ Kru thought. Some of Kru's people were ruled by Mane's, even now. Kru glowered at the other for the reminder. 

"--but I have always respected you!" 

"Oh, good," Kru said noncommitally. 

"So I decided I must help you." 

Kru smiled and nodded. 

Mane's eyes burned with unspoken fury. "For you have let an Evil Spirit into your home!" 

Kru stared in shock. "What?" 

"That boy, the white man's spirit, I am here to tell you the truth. He is here to steal your people. He will sell them to slavers!" 

If anyone knew what the slave traders would do, it was Mane. The old spirit's hands shook. "But he said he was bringing the lost ones back!" Kru objected. 

Mane pushed away the idea. "A lie. Why would he do that?" 

"The caterpillar spirit brought some back." Kru frowned. 

"Did he not lie too? Those were not our people." 

It was true. The Caterpillar's people were strangers, invading just as Mane had long ago. 

Perhaps Mane was telling the truth. 


	2. Chapter 2

Clouds darkened the sky, and the wise ones said it was an ill omen. The whole tribal group left immediately for an inner village, leaving word that Kru could not possibly complete the negotiation anymore, so sorry.

The white man could follow into the jungle if he dared, Kru joked. _Ha ha._

Hours later, Kru was deeply regretting his challenge.

The boy stomped into the gathering area, looking tired and dirty. He didn't seem to notice the hundreds of Kru's people surrounding him, looking at his strange appearance in amazement. Many from this village had never seen white men before.

"Ah, welcome, my friend. I did not think you would make it--" _I hoped you would not,_ Kru thought glumly.

The boy showed his teeth in a bright smile.

"You got some tough bush out there, yessiree! But I didn't want to disappoint you and just not show up, right?"

The smile was not so charming anymore.

Mane seethed at Kru's side. He suddenly growled, "How dare you come here, to this place where your kind have never been! Tell the truth, snake!"

The boy laughed in Mane's angry face. Kru wondered if they would fight. And if he would be blamed. The bad omens were clearly coming true.

"Mister Kru, I _have_ come for land, but not so I can get bigger. No, sir! I got plenty where I'm from. Too many bugs here, anyway!" The boy laughed again, and smacked at a mosquito. "Just like I said, I want to bring some of your children back!"

Only dubious stares answered him. The boy's voice began to sweeten.

"They can take what they learned from me, and build a home for themselves. _Your_ people, _my_ knowledge, yeah?"

His voice was tickling Kru's spine. _How wonderful it would be! The skills of white men, serving Kru's people!_

\--then Mane jumped up in a rage.

The warlike nation rushed up to the white boy and snarled, "Liar! He is the United States of America! He has already stolen many, many slaves! He is here to take all of us now!"

All of the people gathered there had heard the rumors. The rumors that told of where the stolen children went.

_The Americas._

Kru felt horror climbing in his stomach. He had caressed this monster! Wished to keep him as a son!

People stood up in alarm all around them, women screaming. Warriors grabbed up their weapons, faces twisted with fear.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

No one there could say later why they felt a chill down their spines. The boy seemed to loom larger than his thin frame, like a great heat had forced all of them back. No one could take their eyes away.

The boy slid a pistol out of his jacket and pointed it at Mane. A terrible light was behind the boy's unnatural eyes.

Another pistol, and Kru faced the blackness of the barrel.

A harsh whisper cut through the terrified silence.

"Now, we had a _deal_. I don't want your crappy jungle, and I won't keep it, but _my babies need a place to sleep._ You can take my money and honor your word, but one step toward me and _I swear to almighty God,_ neither of you will leave here alive."

Kru was old, so old he could not remember his own beginnings, but at that moment he felt--this boy could destroy him.

Mane seemed uncertain. He was still young enough (by Kru's standards) to be reckless.

"Mane!" Kru barked. "Do nothing!"

The hotheaded warrior nation started in protest, but he was alone. None of Kru's people would act against his order here.

He felt very old.

Looking into those terrible eyes, Kru promised, hoarsely, "I will honor our deal, United States."

America smiled like a child, and the Sun came out from behind the clouds.

  


_"At this instant, when the reference to God was made, the sun, which had previously been veiled with a dark cloud, burst forth in full radiance; and, we are told, as the savages observed it, they appeared to be convinced that Stockton was really invested with divine authority."_  
\-- **A Sketch of the Life of Com. Robert F. Stockton** (http://books.google.com/books?id=CEk6AAAAcAAJ &vq=)

**Author's Note:**

> caterpillar spirit - England founded Sierra Leone with freed African slaves. 
> 
> The Kru are a Liberian tribe and also a language family. They elected spokesmen and were notoriously rebellious to authority. Because of this, they sold poorly as slaves.
> 
> The Mane empire were an offshoot from the Mali empire. They were Mande-speakers who invaded West Africa. They were very militaristic, with an organized Muslim tradition, and highly active in the slave-trade.
> 
> I used the account of the negotiation with King Peter of the Kru from A Sketch of the Life of Commodore Robert Stockton. It says the Kru were angry about being prevented from trading in slaves, but the Kru were supposed to have opposed the foreign slave traders. Someone lied or there was a misunderstanding. The Mane DID trade slaves, so I decided to go with big misunderstanding and made Mane stand in for the mysterious northern mulatto slavetrader who tried to break up the negotiation.


End file.
